Bad Things Come in LARGE Numbers, Now with an UPDATE (10/27)

OK, so this is just a little blog post so that I could count all the awful things that we have been experiencing in the last few months.  I suppose it is my way of making a visual list so I can actually see how many bad things have happened to count.  So anyway, if you'd rather not read my pessimistic post, then feel free to skip this one.  

It seemed like everything was going alright until about when school started.  Then everything came crashing down.  Let's see....

1-Junior High messes with Micah (don't ask, long story)

2-Labor Day Plans get ruined

3-Air Conditioner is broken? wiring?

4-Sprinklers are broken

5-the Van has a leak in the oil gasket

6-Depressing Birthday (probably my own fault, I was already depressed)

7-Colonoscopy and Endoscopy

8-Root Canal

9-Lab messes up on Colonoscopy and Endoscopy test results so all for nothing

10-Eye place messed up my glasses with wrong center of focus (#1)

11-Asked for work off, but didn't get it, had to rearrange a whole mess of activities

12-Caleb begins to get picked on in school

13-Eye glass place messed up again on fixing the glasses (#2) this time put lens in backwards

14-Accidentally shoplifted from Target (don't worry, I've paid them back)

15-Doctor says Caleb's left eye has had a dramatic loss of vision

16-Eye glass place messes up even on the 3rd attempt (#3!!!) to fix them

17-Flat tire on the freeway

18-Troy's car gets 2 new tires $$$

19-Van needs new water pump

20-Van needs new oil thingamabob

21-Van needs new bar thingy that handles the struts/shocks?

22-Paid a million $$$ for the above, but van still needs new brakes and tires

23-Dentist visit again to say gums have not improved after laser beam treatment of death

24------

OK, so what will #24 be???

Gee, will it be another million dollar car repair or dentist visit or major medical procedure that won't even matter because the lab totally messes up but we'll still have to pay for it?!  Or will the van tires explode before we can afford to buy new ones?  Or will the brakes give out before then?  Or maybe the glasses place will finally call me to say they've fixed my glasses and yet they still won't be right for the attempt #4?  Oooh, the anticipation to know what will happen next!!!  

OK, sorry, yes we are a little frustrated right now, but as you can see, things have kind of sucked lately!

I will try to be optimistic now.  Even though all these awful things have happened, there has been some good things.  Micah has done well in school, we've gone to some nice recitals and school performances for the kids, Troy managed to fix the sprinklers and air conditioning (at least for now), and the kids had a nice primary program.  Nobody has been deathly ill (knock on wood!).  Really I am trying to be grateful for what I have and really I guess we could have a lot more problems, but I try to think, when is the good going to happen?  Come on now!!!  I remember I did a post similar to this way back when I was pregnant with Macey to prove that bad things didn't happen in 3's like my mom said, but in 10's, but now I think the numbers have just gone too far.  Something has got to be looking up soon, doesn't it?  

Here's to hoping things turn around!

OH, WAIT, THIS JUST IN, AN UPDATE!!

#24---what could it be??

Why, yes, just a day after I post this list of terribleness, today I drive the kids to school and what happens in the school parking lot?  Yep, ANOTHER flat tire!!!  Oh, what joy and luck I have!!!

So there is #24 of suckiness, 

and of course

#25 would have to be that now we have to buy not 2 new tires, but 4 new tires!!!

So yeah.  Bad things come in 25's!!!  Or do they?  I'm sure there will be a 26, 27, 28.....why not?  

What do I say to you bad things?  Huh?  

BRING IT!!!!!

Ok, sorry once again for my wild crazy sort of venting, but seriously, why does my life have to suck so much right now?

Recitals and Concerts and A Few New Blogs

We have had a busy month with many of the kids performing in concerts and recitals!  While we'll touch a little on these events with some pictures, if you'd like to see more, you can click on the links to go to their music blogs.

Caleb had his fall piano recital.  He played March Militaire by Schubert.  While he did well, it was the longest recital we have ever been to lasting over 2 hours long.  True, the performers were all spectacular, but it was just very very very long, especially when you are a little boy who is 2nd to the youngest student and so plays 2nd in a concert of like 16 performers, and with the oldest ones performing songs over 20 minutes long.

I suppose someday it will be Caleb who is playing the forever long songs at the end, but anyway, if you'd like to see more of Caleb's performance, you can see it on his piano blog if you click here.

This year, Micah has started Junior High and auditioned and made it into their Jazz Band.  We have been so proud of him as he is one of only two 7th graders in the whole band and not knowing much about jazz guitar, he has come a long way and been learning a lot.  

The day after Caleb's piano recital, Micah had his debut Jazz Band performance at the Junior High School.  He looked so cute in his little white bow tie with all black.  

He did really well, although we couldn't hear the guitars over all the other instruments.  At times Micah really got into the music and he looked awesome among the other students.  

If you'd like to see more of Micah and his awesome performance as well as updates of his current guitar songs, you can see it all on his musical blog or by clicking here.

Another performance we got to go to this month was Micah's first choir concert for the Junior High School.  He is in an all boy choir of 7th graders this year.  

Now please don't judge me, but really, I don't think many of these boys can sing.  I think a few are pretty tone deaf, and maybe I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it's because many of their voices are changing as to the reason that they all sounded very monitone, but it was actually kind of neat.  Among all these boys who seemed to be droning the same note when the piano was actually playing a melody for them to sing, we could hear our little Micah's voice and we could hear he was singing the actual tune that you should have been hearing.  

Sing louder boy!!!

 I suppose many of these boys had to sign up for this arts credit and they couldn't get into anything else, and maybe it was their first experience with singing, but hopefully they will sound better as the year goes on.

We will hope at least.  I would put a video clip on here, but I don't want you to be so horrified.  

Anyway, we'll have many recitals and concerts to come, but we might not always put them on our family blog.  Remember you can always check out our other blogs, especially the kids.  Caleb and his piano blog, Micah and his musical blog, and don't forget Jewelia has her violin and singing blog.  Plus, there is the kids' dancing blog.

Oh, yeah, and if you're ever bored, or feeling like you'd like to become more educated on Asperger's Syndrome or Tourette's Syndrome, you can check out our other blogs at 

Our Life With Asperger's,

Our Life With Tourette's

and 

Parenting the Gifted Child.

What can we say, we like us some blogs!

Caleb's 9 Year Old Photo Shoot

 

We took Caleb to get his 9 year old pictures yesterday.  I really enjoy how they let you bring your own props, and since Jewelia's pictures turned out so cute with her violin, we decided to bring somethings to show Caleb's personality.

No, we couldn't bring a piano, but we brought some of Caleb's hats, and then a whole bunch of his sheet music.  It was kind of random.  

First we did some normal shots to make sure we got some good pictures of Caleb's nicely styled hair before we smooshed it with hats.

How handsome is he?!

Then we let Caleb wear some of his hats.  

Here he is in his "newsies" hat:

I always think he is cute in his hat, although I don't know if I liked that shot the best.  I wanted to do a few shots with his cute little glasses, but he happened to leave them at school.

Here are some shots with his other hat:

Oh, so cute!  

Then, we had some fun throwing sheet music all over the floor.

I loved this next one:

And here is another:

 Now I think about it, I should have brought a globe or some atlases for a picture since he loves maps so much.  Maybe next time.